Darcie

A mix between Pride and Prejudice and every other tween-age plotline, Epic Fail takes the reader into the world of Elise Benton. Elise, the daughter of the principal, finds herself spending large amounts of time with Derek Edwards, the notoriously snobby son of Hollywood A-listers. Elise, one to judge a book by its cover, sets out to separate herself from Derek in every way possible, including cozying up to his nemesis. But, her stubborn nature only delays the inevitable: Elise soon realizes that reputations can sometimes overshadow a person’s true nature, and she might hold more positive feelings toward Derek than she cares to think.

It’s 1968 and poor Doug is suddenly uprooted from his loving family home to “the Dump” – aka upstate New York. With a distant father, one deviant brother and another who is soon to be returning from Vietnam, Doug’s home life is about to become even more unstable. That’s when Doug decides to leave his gloomy existence in search of something to brighten his days. What begins as a simple fascination leads Doug down a path of self-discovery introducing him to new and interesting people. His original opinion of “the Dump” begins to change as Doug notices the treasures his new surroundings can offer. 

This book is a great choice for intermediate readers or early young adult readers. It is particularly appealing to boys who like adventure, learning and stuff that’s just plain funny.

Back in 2007 when I first started working at Saturn, the very first advanced reading copy I received was for a young adult book called Thirteen Reasons Why. Immediately I was enthralled in the book, reading it at every possible free moment. When it came out in hardcover, I made it a permanent Staff Pick. Now, it is finally available in paperback after much delay. I suppose this delay in printing is a good thing as the original fans of Jay Asher’s gripping novel have grown up, and a new set of teens can enjoy this book for the first time.

The book tells the story of Clay Jensen, a boy who is living a seemingly normal life. Weeks after the death of a classmate, Hannah, Clay receives a package containing seven cassette tapes. These tapes are Hannah’s suicide letter, all detailing the thirteen reasons why she chose to end her life. Clay is one of those reasons, and as he listens to the tapes, the real life of the girl he hardly knew comes to light.

I laughed, I cried, I truly loved this book. Pick it up today (while we still have some left) and get it 10% off or 20% with a Saturn Saver Card!

Tina Fey's hilarious memoir, Bossypants, was the perfect book to kick off my three week summer vacation. As I am now enrolled in summer semester at NCMC, I am stuck reading books that are not quite as side-splitting as Tina Fey's.

The book gave me insight into just how Tina became the charming, somewhat awkward and completely funny gal she is today. It chronicled her life and was littered with so much sarcasm, I had to double check a few facts of her upbringing just to make sure she wasn't pulling my leg!

This book was laugh-out-loud funny and I was sad when it ended.

With books like Uglies and Hunger Games gaining popularity, many authors are following suit in writing novels with a dystopian society setting and a premise that magnifies a current issue in today’s world. Megan McCafferty’s Bumped is one such novel. McCafferty takes the subject of teen pregnancy to a new level, not only addressing the issue but presenting a “what if?” to readers. It is hard not to notice shows like “Teen Mom” and “16 and Pregnant” and the somewhat harmful effects they have on viewers. More and more girls are treating teen pregnancy as their ticket to fame and fortune, but, sadly, very few will reach the stardom of “16 and Pregnant” and it is sad to think that they would even want to. 

In Bumped, twin sisters Melody and Harmony are living in a world where pregging for profit – getting pregnant to make money, not unlike the girls in today’s world – is a common and encouraged thing to do. The storyline is engaging; the twins are separated at birth, raised in two very different worlds, and forced to come head-to-head on the issue of teen pregnancy. But, what stuck with me most was McCafferty’s seamless insertion of a lesson into the story, without being preachy. The book is wholly about teen pregnancy and going to that extreme is a good way to get girls to truly see how ridiculous and harmful the glamorization of teen pregnancy is. They will read the book and be in disbelief at the heinous ‘norms’ in Harmony and Melody’s society, giving them a fresh viewpoint of the pop-culture surrounding them. I highly recommend moms reading this bookalong with their daughters and using it as a discussion tool. Not only was it entertaining but it was thought-provoking, a hard task to accomplish with most young adult books.

Elizabeth Berkley, former “Saved By The Bell” cast member, has written a book about the trials and tribulations of early teenagerhood. Ask Elizabeth is meant for girls going through issues such as the loss of a friend, breakups and body image concerns. Elizabeth answers questions and responds to stories sent into her website, www.Ask-Elizabeth.com, by distraught teenage girls. She has also included many of her essays on the topics discussed in the book, giving insight and wisdom to her many fans.

Ask Elizabeth is candid, heartfelt and much-needed in a world where so many teenage girls are struggling with no outlet for their emotions. Also, the design and artistic presentation of the book make it a beautiful addition to any girl power library. Go Elizabeth!